Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-03-05
DIVISION AND ADMISSION.

A Letter Received by q Well
Known Member of the Council.
special Correspoadsacs u the IxrRR OCEAN.
Bismarck. March "a prominent
member Of the council wrote a friend
Of his, . well.known resident of North
Dakota, for his views on the question OF
submitting the division and admission
matter u the people. The salient feat.
ures Of the reply. which contains many
good reasons why the question should
I've submitted, are herewith given:
I have been y strong advocate of di.
vision EVER since the capital removal vi.
fair. I could see in that shameful CON
spiracy the seed Of n dangerous species
IT government which IL not likely " be
extngu,shei until there is MI arrange
ment Of boundary lines which will en-.
able Mepeopk 10 come together and get
better acquainted. As IL is now, Y small
number Ut tricky, schemlng politician.
can draw about them lesser schomers
Of the INSCRIPTIONS kind and put vi,
almost any kind Of n jcb. II the pur.
p,se is to plumber. or to do an injustice
to, any particular community, they will
Ket together in convention ~ far away
from the object vi their base designs ~
pussible: thus preventing the attend
ance Of those who might thwart them.
The professional politician tinds n,ea,,s
and time to travel from the boundary
line "n the north u Yankun ON the
south-une-ihird If the distance from,
Manitoba to the Gulf of Mex,co-but
the men in whose interests the laws
sh MId te made and conventions lie con-
Quoted cannut leave thei, business
cannot afford To travel several Thousand
'"'les % be present vt important gath r.
i ~. Hence our failure in the past to
IA We II government II the people, by
the people. for the people.
am delighted to Learn that the light
is breaking III the Red River valley and
that the representatives sem from tina,
'egion are joining forces in the interest
Of division. South Dakota has conceded
to us the right " he known rs North
Dakota. The failure If the south to &C
cord us that right was the only stum.
hling-blOck two years axO-that is, II
was the only excuse the ant.divislvnists
nad for opposing division. Now, driv.
ell to the wall, they are forced to ret up
the cry Of expense; and l observe that
.nne illustri,,us antl-divi>ionist now con.
nected with 4 well. known newspaper
has put forth the proposition Vi lad.
mission now; division aiterward." l
I'M told that this eminent gentleman il
ambitious to represent Dakota in the
U. 5. senate. II this is true, | am sorry
he is opposed to division; and l think
lie will I've sorry too. before he reaches
lie goal Of his ambition. Division 10
the proper thing. 1t is growing IL pop.
ularity; and the time is not far distant
when those STATESMEN" who are op.
posed to it will find themselves ON the
WRONG and unpopular side. o.,
North and South Dakota should Join
hands and stand vs. u unit for division.
Dakota will never be recognized i'll
Washington until her people make a
declaration Of their wants. You may
send yuur memorials to congress pray.
my for division; but the antl-divlsionists
have agents there who "know the
ropes" One of these agents in part,c.
uiar has lMtton-h"led more than hall
the members of the 18th congress and
told them why Dakota should not be
divided; and the congressman who are
against us politically accept his story
and Use it az An excuse for refusing to
grant the request in your men" rials.
they say that the people Of Dakota
don't know what they want; and until
they do know congress cannot act.
This Is the exact situation in Washing.
ton. Our only way out of the dilemma
is to ask the people TO decide. By
their verdict, # 1t ls properly and hon
estly ascertained, all patriotic men will
abide. Congress must then act. If it
refuses TO act the people of Dakota
should then take the same steps to enter
the Union that have been taken bv other
-tates whose rights have been unjuslly
withheld.
The cost of an election tn settle thi.
important question, though 1t be 500,
OU6, is not i, be considered in view Of
the ultimate benefits that will certainly
follow. Tie people Of the eat distrusl
us. They ray: You are unfit for gel .
government. You are a wild, reckless.
speculative people. Sparks says r,ne.
iy.five per cent of your population are
thieves aud cut.thrOats. You are u had
people; and Cngre.s don't dare take
you mo the union. You would dis
grace U.s."
Every true Dakotan knows how
much foundation there is for this east.
ern opin,nn; but it il an opinion, never
theless, that shakes our credit and pre-.
tents our progress.
Drunkenness, or L,o7,r Habit, can BE- Cured b1